Venezuela power to legislate shifts

Constitutional assembly takes over the role from congress

In this Aug. 4, 2017, file photo, Venezuela's Constituent Assembly poses for an official photo after being sworn in, at Venezuela's National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela.
In this Aug. 4, 2017, file photo, Venezuela's Constituent Assembly poses for an official photo after being sworn in, at Venezuela's National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela.

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela's pro-government constitutional assembly took over the powers of the opposition-led congress Friday, escalating a standoff between President Nicolas Maduro and his political foes.

The move triggered further international condemnation from the dozens of countries that have already criticized the creation of the all-powerful assembly as an undemocratic power grab by Maduro.

Assembly delegates approved a decree giving them the authority to pass legislation to guarantee the peace, sovereignty and economic well-being of Venezuelans in the face of what they consider relentless machinations by Maduro's opponents.

While the decree does not explicitly dissolve the congress or impede lawmakers from meeting, it virtually nullifies the already-enfeebled powers of the body.

"We will teach them a historic lesson," constitutional assembly President Delcy Rodriguez said as delegates broke into applause while voting unanimously for the measure.

Government opponents have warned that the assembly would move to squash dissent after an election for its members last month that was boycotted by the opposition and criticized by many foreign governments.

In recent days, Venezuelans have watched as a steady parade of top officials, including Maduro, knelt before the assembly charged with rewriting the 1999 constitution and recognized it as the country's supreme authority.

Three congressional leaders were summoned to do the same Friday. But in a public letter, all 109 opposition lawmakers refused to subordinate themselves to a body they consider illegitimate and a betrayal of the 14 million voters who took part in 2015 parliamentary elections that gave Maduro's critics their first toehold on power in almost two decades of socialist rule.

Since the constitutional assembly convened two weeks ago, Maduro has moved swiftly to jail opposition mayors and neutralize an outspoken critic from within his leftist ranks, chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz.

A longtime loyalist, Ortega Diaz broke with Maduro in April and since then has worked tirelessly to undermine his rule. In retaliation, she was removed from office by the constitutional assembly, barred from leaving the country and forced into hiding after an arrest order was issued for her husband accusing him of running an extortion ring out of the prosecutor's office.

She re-emerged Friday, by phone from an undisclosed location, to address a meeting in Mexico of prosecutors from around Latin America. In the event, she accused Maduro of removing her to try and thwart a bribery probe involving the president and the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.

Migration authorities in Colombia said later Friday that Ortega Diaz and her husband had arrived in Bogota aboard a private plane traveling from Aruba.

The couple didn't request asylum, according to a senior Colombian official speaking on condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to discuss the politically sensitive case.

Information for this article was contributed by Maria Verza of The Associated Press.

A Section on 08/19/2017

Upcoming Events